The Warriors' Love
by StandUnderMyUmbrella
Summary: After being apart for so long, Sokka feels destined to reunite with Suki. But, when he finds her, she's in terrible condition. Will the love still be alive after Suki waited all that time for her love to rescue her?Sokka x Suki [Sukka]
1. The Strength of Love

**The Warriors' Love****  
By: StandUnderMyUmbrella**

**Chapter One  
The Strength of Love

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar or any of its characters. (tear)**

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They were so far apart, and yet, they were so close. He felt her breaths every time he took one of his own. Her voice echoed in his ears whenever he was chattering away about anything and everything. Whenever he was engulfed by slumber, her eyes were etched in his mind like a burning ember. It had been so long since Sokka had seen Suki's face, but nothing made him forget her.

Night scenery controlled the sky. A sliver of the moon glowed in up above as far away stars accented it in the clearness. As his friends dreamed on, Sokka remained on his back, staring at the wide open night, sleepless.

No matter how hard he tried, Sokka couldn't sleep that night. Suki had been apart from him ever since they reached Ba Sing Se. He had no clue on where she was or whom she was with. Had she changed at all? Did she think of him the same amount he thought of her? Those questions, upon countless others, were bundling in his mind.

He rolled onto his stomach, and rested his chin on the knuckles of his hands. Letting out a sigh, Sokka glanced over at Katara. A slight smile was printed upon her lips as she dreamed. Every silent breath she took made Sokka feel proud to call her his sister. She kept the group together, not matter how tight things could have gotten. Katara was a natural born leader, just like their father. But what title was left for him to obtain?

Hoping not to wake anyone, Sokka quietly reached for the maps he had owned of the Fire Nation. Flipping through, the warrior finally settled on a specific one. X marks were painted on it staggered, as well as circles. Exhaling heavily, Sokka tossed the map his eyes were glued for so long aside.

"What are you doing up so late?" Katara asked, rubbing her eyes.

"It's Suki." Sokka replied sorrowfully, "we've checked everywhere."

"Suki?" Toph bolted her head upward, holding a finger in the air, "that's the girl who," she cut off her own voice and let her voice go limp, "never mind."

"Why are you so concerned now, Sokka?" Aang blinked.

"Azula said that she was holding her as a prisoner." Sokka paused, "we were so close to her, too. Suki thought I'd come back for her, but I never had a chance."

"Sokka, it's all right," Katara placed her hand on his shoulder, "we'll come for her. We just,"

"No, it's not all right." Sokka interrupted, "it's my fault and I was too blind to see that Suki needed my help."

"That's not what she meant," Aang tried to heal the air.

"It is what she meant." Sokka stood up, "Suki gave up on me, and now I have to go and search for her. No matter what I do, nothing's going to stand in my way." In the night, Sokka bolted away from the camp.

"Well, I'm beat. I'm going back to sleep." Toph yawned, breaking a long silence.

Looking at each other, Aang and Katara got to their feet to follow Sokka. Hoping to break his stubbornness, they were bound to convince him that time was at fault, not him.

Luckily, the warrior hadn't gone too far. The Avatar and the Waterbender found Sokka standing, staring at the moon at the bottom of the hill.

"I'm coming for you, Suki. Don't give up." Sokka whispered into the frigid air.

"Sokka," Katara spoke softly.

Her brother turned to her, tears streaming down his eyes.

"We'll search for Suki." Aang filled in.

"We all will. There's not doubt we'll catch up with her." Katara smiled.

"You really mean this?" Sokka questioned.

Aang and Katara both nodded.

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Everything had been stripped away from her. Her loved ones, her pride, and her title as a Kyoshi Warrior. All of her possessions were snatched from her hands, and nothing not even memories were given back. Though the Fire Nation's intent was for her to die in the dark, humid cell, Suki knew that somehow, some way she'd be reunited with the other Kyoshi Warriors and her other friends. 

Her dark eyes stared at the petite moon through her barred window up above. Cold bricks surrounded in the tight space and breathed frigid air. She felt her stomach demanding food, but nothing she could do could give it what it needed.

A nightly breeze came and chilled Suki under her skin. When her dignity of a Kyoshi Warrior had been swiped away from under her feet, her appearance of one was pulled away as well. Instead of her natural Avatar Kyoshi color schemed clothing that wrapped around her sleek figure comfortably, in the prison she owned itchy, aging rags that felt as if straw patched the numerous holes.

In the hall of the prison, a light of some kind flickered and seemed to come closer her way. Footsteps became nearer and nearer until, they paused. Metal clanged with each other and locks sounded. A tall, lean figure pushed the heavy door open. Their feet took long, slow strides and what seemed like forever passed once they reached the barred cell.

"You understand why you're here, don't you?" the deep voice asked.

Suki, sitting against the bars, glared at the guard. "Yes."

"I bet you'd want to seek revenge upon the person who locked you away in here, wouldn't you?"

Taking time to choose her words, Suki's glare softened. "Perhaps."

Without saying another word, the man unlocked the bars and wrapped his wide fingers around the chains on Suki's wrists. Walking out of the cell, he forcefully pulled the girl along with him, not even allowing enough time for her to easily to come to her feet.

Suki hadn't remembered the treacherous sight of the prison outside her cell. Countless barred, heavy metal doors lined one by one on a cylinder-like wall. Torches clung onto the metal sides and lit the humid air with burning flames. Silhouettes of figures were at the end of a hall Suki and the large guard were headed for. All the way, the girl winced at the sharp iron slicing into the raw flesh of her wrists.

Coming to a halt, the man pushed Suki down, having her end up on her knees. She felt as if she was an animal, being controlled on what to do with guards glaring at her every move.

"This prisoner seeks revenge on the one who sent her to her death." The other guards chuckled at his words as he heavily placed a palm on her back.

Ending the commotion, a small, more slender figure raised a hand in the air and walked towards Suki. The person's sleek palm went under Suki's chin and raised it up. "Look at me," the person sounded to be a young woman.

Suki disobeyed and looked down at the metal floor,

"Look at me, you disgrace," the voice demanded in a much more forceful tone.

Against her will, the Kyoshi Warrior looked at the person. Instantly, her eyes were pierced the other's perfect golden. Flashbacks played in the back of Suki's mind. Finally, she remembered who had locked her away from her loved ones. "Azula," she gravely whispered.

"Yes, I'm the one who is at fault for you ending up in this terrible place to die in." The princess's voice was of a mockery of sorrow.

"Not to die." Suki replied, bitterly, "a hero is out to save me. He's on his way this very second."

"Oh, who is he? An invisible spirit of some sort?"

"The love of my life."

Azula grew silent.

"You know he's coming. You know I'll be free of your clutches soon enough." Suki shifted her chin out of Azula's palm, still eyeing her.

Only a few humid second passed and Azula's anger steamed and built higher. Her leather hand forcefully swiped against the warrior's face. The strike allowed Suki's dried, cracked lips to bleed and left a red mark upon her cheek. Fighting against her own tears, Suki bit her lip. Unintentionally, she sank her teeth into the raw flesh.

Silently, Azula ordered a guard to walk near Suki and continue the torture. The same man that brought the girl out of her cell unlocked her chains connected to her infected wrists. Thinking he'd take them off, Suki's tensions fell. Soon enough, the guard vigorously clamped the chains back together, a notch tighter. Suki clenched her teeth together and attempted to fight her tears once again.

"Still believe your hero is going to come and rescue you?" Azula hissed.

Taking staggered breaths, Suki tried to speak. "Yes," she managed to say.

Growing aggravated, Azula took her leather hand once more and swung it against the same spot her had struck only a few moments ago. Blood from Suki's cracked lips went into the air and splattered onto the metal floor. The princess paused and raised a brow to gaze at her own massacre. A couple fresh, deep wounds were on the warrior's left cheek, where her nails had struck. Blood dripped heavily from her lip as well as her face. But what made Azula proud of her work were the tears that stained Suki's face as they fell. "Take her out of my sight before I drown in my own success. We broke her, that's all I cared about," the princess smiled devilishly, flicking her fingers away.

Shakily, Suki arose to her feet as she was forcefully escorted back to her cell. Without saying a word, the guard shoved her in the barred death room and shut the heavy door grimly behind him as he walked out.

Not caring who heard or who noticed, Suki allowed her tears to stream down her eyes and let the pain engulf her. She was a fallen Kyoshi Warrior, and landed in the clutches of a monster. She knew that no warrior of Kyoshi could be broken, but Azula made her feel as if she could only give up.

Suki's sorrowful and pained eyes looked up into the moon. "Sokka, hurry," she managed to say beneath her breaths, "time's running out."

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**Author's Note: This is taken time right after The Day of the Black Sun. And yes, I know where Aang and all of his friends are headed once the episode is over. But, since I don't want to spoil the ending of TDotBS, and because it tied along with my plot more efficiantly, I decided to change it. Please rate and review. Any words will allow me to grow as a better writer! Thanks!**

**StandUnderMyUmbrella**


	2. A Helpless Soul

**Chapter Two  
A Helpless Soul**

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Morning had awakened the forever sleeping night. A bright sun had already begun on warming the earth below. The Fire Nation and its people were already busy and lively.

Sokka looked down from the saddle of Appa as they flew high in the air. His solemn eyes were of a look of depression whenever he took a breath of hopelessness. "I don't see why we have to wait until nightfall to begin searching." He coldly stated aloud.

"The Fire Nation will probably be less likely to tell who Aang is if we go in the night compared to the day." Katara answered.

Sokka grew silent. Everyone, even Momo could hear the warrior's breath over anything else. His eyes didn't move from below. Long moments passed and the air got calmer and quieter. Nobody dared to speak a word.

Breaking the forever living silence, Aang poked in, "If' we're going to spend all night looking, we'd better get as much sleep in as we can in the daytime." He directed the bison to lower grounds.

After landing in a far off cave, the group began to lightly unload. Toph blocked off the cave's mouth for security and for the illusion of night. The others laid blankets out on the hard floor then crawled underneath them.

Sokka attempted to sleep but had no luck. His heart was too awakened on Suki, and he wanted her to be in his arms. His large, ocean eyes stared at the endless darkened ceiling. Heavy breaths of his friends were already heard. _I'm coming for you, Suki. I'm right behind you. _The warrior thought before shifting to his side and lowered his eyelids.

Suki felt the layer of grime living upon her grow thicker by the second. Her hair was greasier than she could ever imagine. The trail stains her dozens of tears had left before dried and cracked on her cheeks. Though the sun had appeared in the sky above, Suki felt no warmth.

Familiar footsteps walked to her cell's door. The same figure pushed the thick metal slab and walked to the bars. Suki didn't even look at his bronze eyes or perfect uniform.

"It's your lucky day today," he spoke, inserting a key in the lock.

"Why do you say that?" Suki questioned, weakly rising to her feet.

"You're going to move to a different cell. The 'imperial cell', if you will." The guard powerfully dragged her as he departed.

As she was sharply pulled against her will, Suki's eyes feared at the chains slicing into her freshly cut wrists. A grave-like feeling stalked the air of the hall the two headed. No voices spoke. Nothing was heard other than the guard's heavy breathing and footsteps.

After long, countless moments, the man leading finally chose a thick door. Once he was finished rummaging through the dozens of keys he owned, a specific one fit the lock beautifully.

On the other side of the door was much more different than what Suki has expected. It had a barred cage, similar to her old cell, but there were two, long chains connected to the frigid walls.

Confused, Suki watched in horror as the guard took one of her chains off her wrist. Dried blood crusted the skin, and fresh blood came spilling out the deep wounds. Vigorously, the man clamped on the wall's chain, and did the same procedure to the following wrist.

"There, that should hold you." The man smirked, dusting his hands together.

"Who's doing this to me?" Suki questioned, staring at the chains.

"Why, the princess of the nation, of course."

Suki hung her head in defeat.

"You miss her already?" The guard rose a brow, "I heard from a trustworthy source that she was coming to see you later today."

"Then apparently your trustworthy source has failed you," the icy voice from the door sounded.

"Princess Azula," the guard bowed.

Ignoring his existence, Azula brushed past the guard and immediately went to Suki to give a devilish glare. The warrior returned the same eye. "You see to be displeased at my presence." Azula finally spoke.

"You took everything away from my people." Suki answered.

"But, to repay you, I took over you kingdom. Now, you _and _your people can celebrate by saying they're under control of the most wealthy and productive nation of them all."

"But we don't live freely." Suki spat.

"No, you don't."

"You're a terrible person." The warrior gravely said.

Azula's brows furrowed. She delivered an icy glare Suki's way and could hear her own teeth clench against each other. Like a snake's strike, the princess's fingers wrapped tightly around the prisoner's throat. "You know, it's interesting; Many people say that to me, and strangely, it's the last thing they say."

"Princess?" the guard poked in after a few seconds.

"What?" Azula rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to turn around. She was too focused on her prisoner's attempts to pull her grasp away.

"Your father wanted you to be sure that she remains alive for as long as she can."

Listening to the words, Azula let go from the neck. Suki gasped for air, filling her starving lungs. She tried to massage her suffering neck, but the chains were too shot to permit it.

After a few moments of grave silence, Azula sharply lifted Suki's chin to allow perfect alertness. "You got lucky this time. Speak out of voice again, and I won't release my grip." The princess threw the victim's head to the side and soon disappeared out the door with the guard close behind.

Suki made her legs go limp. The metal strips dug into her wrists, but her tears were stronger than any physical pain. For so what seemed like forever, she longed for her title of a Kyoshi Warrior. For so long, she urged for her freedom. For so long she needed her back that was so unrightfully taken from her fingertips.

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**Author's Note: A huge thanks goes out to all of this story's supporters. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you peoples. _The Warriors' Love _could not be where it's at without your encouragement.**

**-StandUnderMyUmbrella-**


	3. Keeping the Memories

**Chapter Three  
Keeping the Memories**

**Again, I do not own anything of Avatar. (tear)**

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Strangely, Sokka did sleep in the darkened cave. It took him many long moments, even an hour or so, but at least he was silent in the process. The warrior made sure of it.

But in his slumber, Sokka felt something different in the air. It seemed as if a presence of some sort was floating around him, and a familiar presence at that.

_He was alone. None of his close friends were near, and his shadowy sword had gone missing as well. A thickened forest surrounded the warrior and a night sky hovered above. Frigid air crawled up and stabbed his spine._

_Sokka glanced up at the moon. It was full and seemed to glow in the darkness. Clearly, it took over the scenery and the stars were not able to be seen. He sighed, allowing his warm breath create a cloud, then smiled at the large designed in the sky._

_The warrior blinked a few times then stared at the moist grass. Where was he? Where were his friends? Questing kept on adding and adding._

_Looking back up at eye level, her face was seen._

_"Yue?" Sokka heard his breath say._

_"I'm sorry." The spirit sounded._

_"For what?" Sokka questioned, "you didn't do anything."_

_"I'm sorry for leaving you."_

_Sokka grew silent. She did leave him, but she needed to, and it was forgivable, wasn't it? He was unsure on everything._

_"But, you…They…I…" Sokka rambled._

_Before he could say another short word, Yue pushed her lips against his. It didn't last long, but at least it silenced him, for a short moment._

_"All right, now I'm only confused." Sokka thought aloud, "you were just apologizing, and then you went around and just kissed me? No offense, Yue, but you've gotten crazy while being up there on the moon."_

_Yue could do nothing but laugh a little. She terribly missed his humor and needed it to lighten things up. Quickly, she tenderly touched her lips on his cheek. "And that's why I love you; you can be serious, but make everything funny at the same time."_

_Sokka shrugged, "Well, whatever works for you."_

_A smile formed on the girl's lips as she blushed. Sokka was no longer alone. A love of his life was next to him, and there was a hope of togetherness in the air. Unlike before, the bitterness of the cold seemed to disappear and a warmth of sympathy and compassion replaced it._

_"Sokka," another voice sounded with a depressed tone from afar._

_Looking over his shoulder, the warrior saw a different familiar face. Her visual title of a Kyoshi Warrior was smeared all over her face as tears streamed down her eyes. Disbelief and sorrow was written all over Suki as she witnessed the kisses._

_"Suki, I…" Sokka stuttered, stepping towards her._

_Remembering the spirit, Sokka glanced back to the other who seemed as if she lost an important aspect to her life. One of his hands reached for Yue, as the other headed for Suki._

_Sighing in distress, the Moon Sprit shook her head and stared at the ground. Tears began to build in her eyes after she figured Sokka could not make a decision between her or the other girl. Eventually, her ghost-like figure and face began to disappear in the thin air. The frigid feeling returned to Sokka when she was nowhere to be seen. And following the return, a choking feeling took over his throat that time._

_He turned to Suki. Her face was buried in her hands as the tears spilled out. Sokka wasn't quite sure on whether she was tearing happily for the departure, or sorrowfully of his unmade decision._

_"Suki," Sokka spoke, reaching out for her, "you know nothing could separate us." He wrapped his arms around her._

_"But you kissed her." She bitterly replied, making way out of his grasp._

_"It didn't mean anything, Suki." Sokka tried._

_The girl wiped tears away from her face. She couldn't decipher if what he said was only something she wanted to hear, or if it was something she needed to hear. "You really mean that?"_

_Sokka nodded. "Of course. You're a beautiful person, inside and out." He feathered out for her hands._

_Trusting him, Suki placed her palms atop his. "Is she a part of your life?"_

_Sokka gulped. He still had strong feelings for Yue. But, there was something about Suki that made him want to keep her close. "No, she was only a minor chapter of me. You're the only one who completes me, Suki."_

_She blinked a few times, and delivered a bashful smile. Sokka carefully took two of his fingers and swiped the colors from her face onto his own. It trailed from one of his eyebrows to his jaw line._

_Suki changed her smile to a compassionate gesture. Though she had to dig deep, she could find Sokka's meaning; that they were connected, no matter how different they were._

_"Will you forgive me?" Sokka questioned._

_Suki chose her words vigilantly. "Of course."_

_The two smiled at each other. The frigid air seemed to melt away and the choking sensation paused. Sokka let go of Suki's hands and wrapped his arms around her. Suki responded by loosely wrapping her arms around his neck and rested them upon his shoulders. Her eyes glistened under the moonlight and broke away the smeared colors on her skin._

_Their eyelids lowered and their necks longed for each other's. After a few short moments, their lips touched. The world seemed as if it was pause. They held the kiss for as long as they could, finally reuniting with one another and hoped that nothing would separate them again._

_Once their lips were apart, and their arms were at their own side, Sokka turned his back towards Suki. Guilt began to over power him and everything else._

_"Sokka?" Suki questioned in a concerned tone._

"Sokka? Sokka!" Katara's voice chimed in, "wake up, Sokka!"

Soon, he rose his eyelids to see the cave's mouth opened and his sister hovering above his face. "What?" he shot his head upward, "where's Yue? Where's Suki?" he looked on both sides of him.

"Yue and Suki?" Katara questioned, puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

"They were in-" he cut his own voice and put his fingers on his face where the paint had been. He felt nothing, only a dark, empty canvas.

"If you two would hurry up, we'd be leaving by now." Toph annoyingly said atop of Appa.

Quickly, bundling his blankets together, Sokka threw the package in the saddle and climbed up.

Outside the cave was much more different than before. Darkness filled the sky, but warmth was still held. The Fire Nation seemed to have an eerie glow, but is was all dead at the same time. Few guards roamed, and no citizens were seen. Above a prison held the same ghost-like scene.

"If we're correct, Suki should be in on of these," Sokka alerted, pointing at two prisons on a map.

"_If? _I don't want to be searching all my life for this one girl, you know!" Toph complained.

"We'll head for the closest one. That way, there will be more time to search tonight." Aang broke the bitterness as he lowered Appa in front of the building. After everyone stepped off him, the bison was instructed by Aang to return as quick as he could when the whistle blew.

Katara's eyes widened with fear as she stared at the outside of the prison. It was a circular shape, and airless as well. Heavy chains were on each side of the opening of the prison, and a large metal down was formed as an entrance. Cobwebs coated the outer fixtures and every head-sized window was thickly barred. She knew her brother's compassion for Suki, but was she even alive? Was all of this worth it?

The four walked through and alerted of any guards. Toph kneeled over and placed her palm on the cold, metal floor as they came to a cross section of halls. "She's not here." She solemnly told, getting back to her feet.

Sokka ignored her and chose the western hall.

"Sokka, what are you doing? Toph said Suki's not in here." Katara harshly whispered, trying not to create a distraction.

"She also said that she doesn't want to look for her!" Sokka paused his steps, but didn't look back.

"I said that I didn't want to search my entire life!" Toph stated her defense, "and I'm telling the truth when I say 'she's not here'."

The warrior didn't speak. Instead, he began to continue his way down the hall.

"Sokka, wait," Aang caught up to him, "we'll search for her here tonight. But it would work better if we went in groups." He looked back at Katara and Toph, "they'll search with each other and you and I will search together, all right?"

Sokka glanced from Aang to the girls. "All right." He nodded.

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**Author's Note: Terribly sorry for the delay to post Chapter Three up. From angered parents, to school, all of it adds up. My bad.**

**Another Author's Note: Thanks for pushing me to continue _The Warriors' Love_, everyone! I've been trying to include all the details I need, type it up, and post it on FanFic quickly, but without you peoples, I'd never be able to do this! Thankies!**

**StandUnderMyUmbrella**


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